United News of Bangladesh

Spain forward Lamine Yamal continued his remarkable run of early goals in the Nations League, scoring in the sixth minute as Spain defeated Czechia 3-1 at home on Saturday. The 19-year-old produced another trademark finish, cutting in from the right before curling a powerful left-footed shot into the top-left corner, leaving Czech goalkeeper Antonín Kinský with no chance. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente reacted with a mixture of admiration and disbelief as Yamal celebrated near the corner flag, where midfielder Pedri joined him for a hug. Yamal's latest goal came after he scored in the second minute against Croatia in Spain's 4-1 victory on Tuesday and in the second minute of their 3-2 away win over England on Sept. 26. He nearly doubled his tally in the 12th minute after controlling a high ball in his stride and attempting a 20-metre lob that narrowly missed the target. The Ballon d'Or contender has also been in excellent form for La Liga champions Barcelona this season. Rodri and substitute Mikel Merino were also on target for Spain, who extended their unbeaten run to 40 matches. The victory was Spain's third in the Nations League and kept them three points ahead of England at the top of their Nations League A group.

Bangladesh captain Liton Das has ruled out resigning from the captaincy after the team’s Asian Games campaign ended without a medal.  He acknowledged that his own performance and the team’s overall cricket were below the standard. Bangladesh had arrived at the Games with a medal target but lost to Pakistan before suffering another heavy defeat by Sri Lanka, which ended their campaign without a podium finish. Asked whether he felt responsible for the failures and whether he would resign, Liton said he had not performed well in either match but saw no reason to step down. “My performance was not up to the mark. I could not perform well in both matches,” Liton said at the post-match press conference. But when asked directly if he wanted to resign, he replied: “No, I don’t want to resign. There are ups and downs in cricket. One day will be good, one day will be bad. There is nothing to resign for.” Liton made two runs in Bangladesh’s first match and was dismissed for a duck against Sri Lanka. He also accepted that Bangladesh had failed to make the most of an opportunity at the Asian Games. “It is very bad,” he said. “We came here with a big target. When that did not happen, there was another option. We had an opportunity, but we missed it. We could not play good cricket, that’s why we missed the opportunities.” Bangladesh’s captain said the team’s bowling had initially put them in a good position against Sri Lanka before an opposing batter produced an exceptional innings that changed the game. “We bowled very well in the first eight overs,” Liton said. “Then you saw how a batter played shots on this wicket. It was very difficult, but he batted extraordinarily. Our bowlers did not get any clue about how to come back.” The batting, he said, was not good enough to recover from the situation. “Batting-wise, we were not up to the mark today,” Liton said. The result means Bangladesh leave the Asian Games without the medal they had hoped to win through cricket. Liton said the disappointment was natural for both the team and himself as captain. “When you come from the country with a big target and cannot deliver that as a team, as a captain, everyone will feel bad,” he said. “Feeling bad is natural.”

Pakistan need 212 runs to beat India and win the men's cricket gold medal at the Asian Games after India posted 211-6 in their 20 overs on Friday. India, who were sent in to bat first, were led by opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 61 off 28 balls. Tilak Varma provided a late boost with an unbeaten 51 off 22 balls, while Shiv Dube added 27 from 18 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes. Arafat Minhas and Ahmed Daniyal took two wickets each for Pakistan. Minhas and Abrar Ahmed were Pakistan's most economical bowlers, conceding 8.33 and 7.25 runs per over, respectively. Pakistan made a positive start to their chase, reaching 11-0 after the opening over. Jasprit Bumrah began the innings with a no-ball but quickly recovered to keep opener Sahibzada Farhan under pressure with two dot balls. However, Bumrah overstepped again, and this time Pakistan's Sadaqat Hussain took advantage by hitting the free delivery for a boundary. Pakistan now need 201 runs from 19 overs to win the gold medal. Source: Al Jazeera

Bangladesh’s Asian Games campaign ended without a cricket medal after they lost the bronze-medal match to Sri Lanka by 63 runs on Saturday in Asian Games. Sent in to bat, Sri Lanka recovered from 21 for four to post 165 for nine in 20 overs, with Tharindu Ratnayake’s 65 off 32 balls providing the impetus. Bangladesh never recovered from a disastrous start to their chase and were bowled out for 102 in 17.3 overs. Ratnayake struck seven fours and five sixes in his aggressive innings. He shared a 40-run partnership with Sahan Arachchige, who made 33, as Sri Lanka turned a difficult position into a competitive total. Bangladesh had looked in control early on after Mehedi Hasan took two wickets and Alis Al Islam claimed another on his international debut. Sri Lanka were 21 for four after 3.5 overs. But the momentum shifted in the second half of the innings. Ratnayake attacked the Bangladesh bowlers and Sri Lanka added 114 runs in the final 10 overs. Mustafizur Rahman was particularly expensive, conceding 25 runs in the 14th over. Rishad Hossain, who had given away only nine runs in his first two overs, conceded 37 in his final two. Bangladesh’s chase unravelled almost immediately. Saif Hasan was caught behind for a duck in the first over, and Tanzid Hasan followed for another duck in the next. Captain Litton Das then fell to Nuwan Thushara’s yorker, also without scoring, leaving Bangladesh at nine for three after 2.3 overs. Towhid Hridoy offered a brief glimpse of a recovery with 11 off six balls, but he soon departed. Parvez Hossain and Mehedi then fell off successive deliveries, leaving Bangladesh 64 for six. Yasir Ali made 21 and Parvez scored 20, but there was little resistance thereafter. Nasum Ahmed, batting at No. 9, top-scored with 26 off 28 balls and helped Bangladesh avoid an even heavier defeat. Thushara, Ratnayake, Sahan Arachchige and one other Sri Lankan bowler took two wickets each. The defeat left Bangladesh without a cricket medal at the Asian Games for the first time. The men’s and women’s teams had both previously won medals in the event. Bangladesh’s only medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games so far has come in wushu, where they won bronze.

The Portland Trail Blazers have fired newly hired television play-by-play broadcaster Braiden Bell after inappropriate social media posts he made as a teenager resurfaced just hours after his hiring was announced. The team said Thursday night that the posts violated its policies and values. “The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said in a statement. “Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.” Bell, 29, previously worked as the play-by-play announcer for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G League’s Valley Suns. The Trail Blazers had announced his hiring Thursday as the replacement for longtime broadcaster Kevin Calabro. Within hours of the announcement, posts Bell made on X, then known as Twitter, in 2012 and 2013 resurfaced. KGW-TV in Portland first reported the posts. Bell apologized in a social media post Friday, saying he wrote the posts when he was 15 and that they did not represent who he is today. “I am deeply sorry for the language that I used on Twitter,” Bell said. “I do not take lightly any harm it causes now.” He also apologized to those hurt by his words and said he would continue to treat people with kindness and respect. The Trail Blazers acknowledged shortcomings in their hiring process and apologized to fans, saying they would ensure their new broadcaster reflects the team’s values. “We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City,” the team said. “We will do better.”

Several people were injured Saturday after a car drove into a crowd of supporters gathered on a road in Newcastle, north of Sydney, to cheer for the Newcastle Knights rugby league team, Australian authorities said. Officials had not immediately provided details about the circumstances of the incident or confirmed the exact number of people injured. New South Wales Ambulance said the incident occurred Saturday morning and that emergency personnel were treating several people at the scene. The Australian Associated Press reported that police arrested the driver following the incident. The supporters had gathered along the road to see off the Newcastle Knights team bus before the club's rugby league finals match scheduled for Sunday. Large numbers of fans had turned out throughout the week to watch the team train and show their support. Another sizable crowd gathered Saturday morning as the team prepared to leave for the upcoming finals match.

The Football Association said Friday that a ruling against Manchester City over major financial violations has significant implications for the integrity of soccer and that it is reviewing the decision. An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of artificially inflating its revenue by more than $1 billion over nearly a decade through what the Premier League described as “sham” sponsorship agreements linked to the club’s ownership. The commission found City guilty of all charges involving serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018. It also found the club guilty of most of the charges related to its failure to cooperate with the investigation. The FA, the governing body of English soccer, issued its first response to the biggest disciplinary case in Premier League history. “The independent commission's decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game,” the FA said. “We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.” The FA said it would “continue to monitor developments closely” but would not make further comments while the proceedings remain ongoing. Manchester City has said it will appeal the ruling, which was published Tuesday. The deadline for filing the appeal is Friday. The club’s potential punishment will be considered separately in a confidential hearing before the independent commission. Possible sanctions include a fine, points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League.

Jürgen Klopp secured his first victory as Germany coach, while Portugal advanced with a convincing win over Denmark without veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the Nations League on Thursday. Florian Wirtz scored as Germany beat Serbia 2-0 in Munich, giving Klopp his first victory in his third match in charge and avoiding an unwanted record. The 59-year-old had opened his tenure with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands before Germany suffered a surprise 1-0 loss to Greece on Sunday. Germany produced a disciplined and energetic performance against Serbia, reflecting the high-intensity style Klopp wants to establish. “That's going in my archive. We'll make a video out of it now,” Klopp said. “That's how we want to play.” Germany created several chances before Tom Bischof opened the scoring in the 39th minute, finishing the rebound after Wirtz's effort struck the post. Klopp introduced Said El Mala after halftime for his Germany debut. Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and Freiburg forward Derry Scherhant also made their international debuts. Wirtz doubled Germany's lead after receiving Maximilian Mittelstädt's cross. He controlled the ball past a defender with his first touch before finding the inside of the right post with his second. “It was important to win again, just for the spirit in the team, and to send a signal out that we're good football players and also a good football nation,” Wirtz said. Netherlands held by GreeceTijjani Reijnders scored in the 89th minute as the Netherlands came from behind to draw 2-2 with Greece in Thessaloniki in the other Group A2 match. Fotis Ioannidis scored one goal and assisted on the other for Greece, while Virgil van Dijk scored before Reijnders rescued a point for the Netherlands. The Dutch side had also needed a late equalizer in its previous match against Germany. Greece remained top of Group A2 after recording away wins over Serbia and Germany. Portugal wins without RonaldoPortugal defeated Denmark 4-2 in Copenhagen as João Félix sealed the victory late, with Ronaldo absent from the squad. Ronaldo left the team a day earlier following an apparent dispute with coach Jorge Jesus, raising questions over his future with the national side. Gonçalo Ramos, who replaced the 41-year-old forward, assisted João Cancelo for Portugal's opening goal before scoring the team's second two minutes after Mikkel Damsgaard equalized in the 23rd minute. Rasmus Højlund leveled again in the 53rd, but Vitinha restored Portugal's advantage with a near-post header from Bruno Fernandes' free kick in the 67th. Félix completed the scoring in the 87th minute. Wales beats NorwayWales defeated 10-man Norway 2-1 for its first Group A4 victory, with Erling Haaland failing to score. Haaland failed to find the net for only the second time in his last 18 competitive international appearances. He has scored 65 goals in 58 matches for Norway. Oscar Bobb put Norway ahead in Cardiff, but Daniel James equalized before halftime. Norway defender Torbjørn Heggem was later sent off for fouling James, and Neco Williams scored the winner from the resulting free kick. Protest disrupts Ireland-Austria matchProtesters calling for Ireland to boycott its upcoming match against Israel on Sunday interrupted Ireland's game against Austria by throwing tennis balls carrying Palestinian flags onto the field during the first half. A man carrying a Palestinian flag also attempted to enter the pitch before stewards stopped him. Troy Parrott scored twice, including a fine solo effort, but Austria fought back through Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch in the second half. In the other Group B3 match, Israel and Kosovo played out a 0-0 draw. Elsewhere, Liechtenstein held Azerbaijan to a 0-0 draw in Group D2.

Cricket rivals India and Pakistan reached the Asian Games men's cricket final on Thursday after winning their respective semifinals, setting up another high-profile meeting between the neighboring countries. Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-affected match reduced to 13 overs per side because of a wet outfield. India then crushed Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the second semifinal, with four Sri Lankan batters dismissed without scoring. The final, scheduled for Saturday in Japan, is expected to draw attention to the political tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Handshakes unlikelyPlayers from India and Pakistan have recently avoided the traditional pre- and post-match handshakes amid strained relations between the countries. Tensions along the India-Pakistan border brought the two countries close to war last year and have also affected their cricket encounters. India's men's team defeated Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup, including the final, but Suryakumar Yadav's side did not shake hands with Pakistani players in any of the matches. The Indian team also declined to receive the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi. India's women's team similarly avoided handshakes with Pakistan during a match at the continental championship and later declined to receive the women's Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after winning the tournament in the United Arab Emirates. Sri Lanka bowled out for 45Ishan Kishan's unbeaten 80 off 46 balls helped India post 169-7. Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, added 38 runs, hitting six fours and two sixes. Sri Lanka, fielding a second-string team, suffered an early collapse. Sineth Jayawardene, Lasith Croospulle and Sohan de Livera were all dismissed without scoring. Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets in his opening over, while Croospulle was run out. Nuwanidu Fernando was the only Sri Lankan batter to reach double figures, scoring 15. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 45 in 9.5 overs. Bumrah finished with 2-7, while spinners Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Abhishek Sharma shared five wickets. India made a fast start after being sent in to bat, but Sooryavanshi fell shortly after the powerplay. Sri Lanka then slowed India's scoring in the middle overs before Kishan accelerated the innings with five sixes and four boundaries. Samad, Muqim lead PakistanAbdul Samad smashed an unbeaten 30 from 15 balls, while left-arm spinner Sufyan Muqim took 3-28 as Pakistan comfortably defeated Bangladesh. Towhid Hridoy top-scored for Bangladesh with an aggressive 42 off 25 balls, including four sixes, before Muqim dismissed him in the penultimate over. Bangladesh finished on 111-7.

Switzerland's soccer federation withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino's campaign for another term as FIFA president on Wednesday, citing concerns over the credibility and governance of world soccer's governing body. The Swiss federation said greater transparency, accountability and effective governing bodies were needed to maintain trust in international soccer and FIFA. It said those conditions had no longer been met since June, when it initially backed Infantino. UEFA has also been pushing for a change in FIFA leadership, either before or during next year's presidential election. The European governing body has raised concerns over Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights to private investors. The Swiss federation also referred to concerns over the integrity of competitions. It pointed to pressure from US President Donald Trump over a proposed one-match suspension for Switzerland-born US forward Folarin Balogun, which would have kept him out of a round-of-16 World Cup match against Belgium earlier this year. Infantino had appeared set to secure a fourth and final term through 2031 without opposition. However, his plan to establish a secretive commercial subsidiary was reported by the media on July 28 and was abandoned within days following widespread criticism. UEFA is scheduled to meet its 55 member associations in Berlin next week to discuss finding a candidate to challenge Infantino before the Nov. 18 deadline for nominations. The FIFA presidential election will be held March 18 in Rabat, Morocco, with delegates from all 211 FIFA member associations eligible to vote.